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better solar cells Light-trapping, silver nano-antennas could dramatically improve the performance of solar panels by catching more light, according to a new study.

A team of physicists, including Professor Constantin Simovski from Finland's Aalto University, has developed theoretical designs that could increase photovoltaic cell efficiency in a commercially viable way.

This would trap more incoming light, allowing it to be preferentially re-radiated through the photovoltaic slab, improving efficiency.

New fabrication techniques for printing a nano-antenna array on thin film means it could be done at low cost.

"Pieces of the film with printed nano-antenna arrays can be prepared separately from solar cells so that the price of every piece will be small," report the researchers on the pre-press website ArXiv.org.

"We have demonstrated our nano-antenna arrays operate significantly better than the structures based on anti-reflecting coatings."

Existing technology uses coatings to reduce the amount of light reflected off the solar cell, but this fails to prevent up to half of the light passing through the back of the solar cell's thin film and being lost.

The best currently available commercial photovoltaic cells convert just 22 per cent of the light they receive into electricity, according to the researchers, who also say that this level can be improved with existing technology, but the cost is prohibitive.

Like minds

Dr Richard Corkish, Head, School of Photovoltaic & Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales, says Australian research is following a similar approach.